Yuri Plisetsky Learns To Care
by MythologyOfZuko
Summary: Yuri Plisetsky isn't used to attention, to care. He has lived alone for a long while. But over the course of his senior debut season, he learns that there are people who do care about him, and that he can let himself care for others too.
1. Braids

The first thing Yuri thought when he moved into Lilia's apartment was how luxuriously big it was. Despite living alone, Lilia had 3 bedrooms and a mini dance studio complete with bars and mirrors, a living room space so large they eventually cleared the furniture away to use as a better space for Yuri's ballet practice, and even the kitchen is bigger than his studio apartment.

Yuri's tiny studio apartment was the only thing he could afford when he moved to St. Petersburg. Though he's made some money since then and could move to a bigger place, what was the point? It's not like he needed much space anyway, he'd just fill it up with more skating equipment, costumes from competitions, and clothes from his endorsements. Competitions don't pay much, and the endorsements give him great fashion for free, actually pays him to wear them, so he gladly takes them. Other than his cat Pushok, he doesn't really have anyone over at the place, even he himself is hardly there anyway. Moving to a bigger, more expensive place would just be like paying for more air, a waste of money. And now that he's moved in to Lilia's place, he's glad he's got a small cheap place, since he still has to pay the rent to keep it and leave most of his stuff there. After all, he couldn't bring everything over to Lilia's. Besides he'd have to come back to it after Lilia was done with him, whenever that is.

He's wondered why Lilia has 3 bedrooms if she lived alone. Sure it's convenient for them now, he and Yakov can get their own separate bedrooms too, but why would she bother with the space in the first place? He doesn't ask, figures it must be something between Yakov and Lilia, but doesn't want to stir up drama, especially not if that would cost him both his choreographer and his coach at this critically important time.

Senior debut. Senior debut. Funny how he doesn't feel like a senior at all. He's still the same small kitten waiting to grow up into a tiger, waiting to become, to _surpass_ , Viktor. But he's still small now and still able to use his body before puberty fully hits him and he has to relearn everything. When he grows taller he'll have to readjust to the proportions, when he becomes heavier he'll have to sink deeper into the edges and harder onto his ankles, when he gains the bulk he always wanted he'll inevitably lose some flexibility and have to work even harder to maintain it. Now's his best shot at the gold before he has to start over again. It's now or never, he's going to break either way, so he has to make it count.

Living with Lilia and Yakov is both exactly what he expected and not what he expected at all. They watch over everything: his diet is adjusted, his sleep is tracked, his downtime is scheduled to a T, and Yuri wanted nothing less. After all, he said he'd give himself over, body and soul. Lilia works him to the bone, having him do over and seeing sloppiness in what he would have thought was perfect routines. Her eyes are sharper than a golden eagle, spotting his lines and edges from across the rink and finding fault with them, and at home she has him practice in the studio. Both she and Yakov almost constantly hound him on his technique, nagging away until he knows the words verbatim, though he respects Lilia enough not to give her lip. Yakov... not so much.

But Yuri didn't actually expect the soul part of the deal. Lilia and Yakov work together surprisingly well, scrutinizing the finer points of Yuri's routine, both on the ice and off it. He thought they would have some bad history to have divorced. And yet they also have their occasional tender moments, both with Yuri and each other. On Russia Day, Yakov bought some incredible shashlik and Lilia let them all onto her patio to watch fireworks that night, even allowing Yuri a sip of vodka. Later she actually _joked_ about going to have him work harder the next day to burn off that delicious fatty shashlik so might as well let him have fun and get drunk, maybe a hangover too. She didn't actually let him drink any more than that sip, but still. _Lilia joking_.

Or the time when the Kirov Ballet where Lilia worked as a consulting instructor put on The Sleeping Beauty and she got the whole team tickets. Yuri was not too pleased to spend 3 hours in a suit watching some dumb ballet, but Yakov got extremely excited and might have even looked happy. He bought flowers that night, wore his best suit, offered his arm to Lilia to walk her into the hall, and basically behaved as if he were on a date with Lilia. She still said "I'm not getting back together with you", though Yuri could tell she was enjoying the attention. She had that little smile on her, the same one she'd make when he did well in practice. He didn't think much of the show and just dozed off on Mila's shoulder. They were all somewhat concerned with Georgi though, who ended up bawling for some reason. What an embarrassment. That man acts like a child sometimes.

There was a moment that definitely caught Yuri off guard, which was when they were at Kirov and talking to one of the in-house costume designers. Apparently this Yelizaveta Alexeyevna also designs costumes for figure skaters, not just ballet dancers. The designer Yuri typically worked with had cheap rates and was honestly very good, but when he mentioned the price Lilia insisted on Yelizaveta and offered to cover the cost herself. That's probably going to be more than fifty thousand Rubles! He can't possibly accept!

Yuri stammers then straightens out "No! I can cover the cost, I have my costume budget for this season anyway, and I have more money saved now that I'm living with you, and I'll be earning even more after I win -"

Lilia cuts in then "After you win? Already so confident before the season has even started. Alright, you pay for the costume." There was a hint of humor in her tone. She seemed impressed, even. She didn't press the issue, and said not a word more about payment.

They discuss the concept, the design, the overall aesthetic, and because of the absurd number of turns, spins and direction changes in his program, they agreed that it would be best to tie his hair back. Only after they got back to the apartment did Lilia ask to braid Yuri's hair for him. Make that two moments that caught him off guard. Yuri was not used to this sort of attention, this _care_. And while he's warmed up to living with Lilia and Yakov, it still comes across as out of character that his coaches were capable of generosity and tenderness.

Lilia taught him how to do a French braid across the side to hold his hair in place, while still letting it have freedom to flow at the bottom. She did the left side and had him practice the right side, patiently correcting him while he struggled. After a few attempts and a very rough looking braid, they went into the studio to go through his forms.

Yuri practices his braids in the mornings now, before heading out to practice. He's gotten somewhat better at it, but often asks Lilia to do it for him anyway. It's become somewhat of a routine for them actually. He'd ask her to do up one side, and he'd practice the other. He won't admit it, but he likes the feeling of her hand running through his hair and pulling it together. It just doesn't feel the same way when it's his own hand on his head. The feeling reminds him of his grandfather, the same feeling of warmth and connection through a simple touch. Maybe it's just an old people thing. Though he couldn't imagine Yakov ever giving him the same kind of feeling.

Little does he know, Lilia feels the same way about doing up his braids too.


	2. Texts

Yuri's phone does not have many saved contacts. He doesn't have many people to save numbers for. Since he moved to St Petersburg on his own at 8 years old to focus on training, he was pretty much by himself. Having not made many friends back in Moscow, he simply stopped trying here. There was skating to focus on, and earning rent the rest of the time. Of course, there are child labor laws, but also of course, there are people willing to pay a desperate child to dishes in the back of a kitchen. Yuri didn't have time to spend with people outside of school, so he didn't bother to strike up any friendships, knowing they wouldn't mean much anyway.

Most of the contacts on his phone are just the necessaries. Coach Yakov and the whole team, the ballet Madams and a few fellow ballet dancers, his costume designer, the landlord, maintenance, some of his past employers, and a few skaters he's met a competitions from here and there. Of course, he has his grandfather, who somehow still manages to use a landline. So his text history makes for pretty dry reading, just mostly business communications.

He does get the occasional text from Mila and Georgi, typically funny things that's happened at the rink, usually about the other. Or Yakov's reaction to Viktor's antics. Mila sometimes gossips about the pair skaters, they're-so-in-love-when-are-they-going-to-marry that kind of thing, and also teases Yuri with pictures of cat-themed clothes, accessories and objects. Usually it's just Hello Kitty. Despite being less than a good conversationalist in replies, he does appreciate these texts. The apartment gets quiet, what with it being him alone with Pushok in that tiny place, so the texts give his ringtone some good use and fills the room up somewhat. He absolutely loves "Welcome to the Madness" and doesn't get to hear it often enough, though that opening riff keeps startling Pushok. One would think the cat would have learned by now.

Now the effects of this prolonged solitariness and focused competition births within the man a guardedness and suspicion of others' motives. In the absence of care, the harsh indifferent ways of world breeds a defensive, almost feral flinching from care that is too freely given. Mila and Georgi took years to warm up to Yuri (or rather vice versa), so when Yuuko first texts to ask how Yuri is doing, he does not reply, suspecting her of snooping of Yuuri's behalf. She sends a follow up, "You must be so busy training hard for you senior debut. Good luck! We're cheering for you!"

Yuri does not know what to make of it when Yuuko texts again when Yuuri has completed his music and program, reporting of how proud she was, and excited to see Yuri's program too. She's probably trying to fish out details from his program. He does up the braids he would be doing for his Free Skate and sends that picture to her, a trade that he figures doesn't let out anything substantial on his side. Yuuko just replies a flurry of praises on his beauty. Despite himself, Yuri smiles at this easily captivated lady, and her enthusiasm to just be excited over every detail about him in a caring way. It's quite unlike that rabid fan group he has. They are just terrifying.

Yuuko texts him again after assignments were released, after Yuuri wins regionals, before Skate Canada and after Yuri himself wins silver there, one time when the triplets found a picture of him photoshopped into all Hello Kitty print, a few nights before Rostelecom, and some more in between. Every time, she is all care and enthusiasm, and honestly, it's both overbearing and infectious. He wants to dismiss her as some annoying spy for Yuuri, but it's just been very uplifting instead. And uplifting is so foreign a sensation for Yuri. He's had satisfaction, fulfilment, elation, but that's when he wins. Uplifting is new, and he kinda likes it.

Yuri still isn't used to receiving care, though. Grandpa isn't here, and now not only does Yuuri win a personal best and come so close to a new record, he and Viktor both cheer for him? What a diss, Yuri doesn't _need_ your care. He stumbles on the first triple Axel, but picks himself up again and delivers a good score. When Viktor has to leave for Japan, and Yuuri ends up affected, Yuri knows this is not how he wants to win, not off the failure of a man who was capable enough to win Viktor over. He actually cheers for this emotional wreck. Though JJ catches him and it's enough to put him off showing any semblance of concern for the rest of the competition.

Yuri has to run away from the walking emotional disaster zone after the awards ceremony, he is _not_ a hugger. But he also sees something in Yuuri that evokes a heaviness that settles in his heart, though he doesn't know what it is, this feeling. He's feeling pretty salty about losing the gold to JJ twice now, but Yuuri moping about like this also occupies him. Maybe it's the disappointment of not doing as well as he could have, Yuri would feel pretty angry at himself to messing up, and he's seen enough to realize that Yuuri tends to go with sadness instead.

So Yuri, picks up the bag of katsudon piroshki his grandpa made him, and sets out to find Yuuri. At least he'll be able to eat some katsudon with Viktor not around, and maybe that'll put him back on the mood to skate well. Yuri does not want to win against Yuuri like this again. It makes his heart heavy, and the feeling itself unsettles him too.

When Yuuko texts him congratulations again the next day, Yuri decides to ask her about his that feeling with Yuuri. He figures that since she's got him into a new state of feeling, she'd know about this one too. "So silly," she replies. "You feel that way because you care about Yuuri. I'm so glad you do too! What you did for him was very nice. You're a great friend to us all! Good luck for the Grand Prix Final!"

Yuri is in slight disbelief to learn that he cares for Yuuri. He buries the thought. That's absurd. He only doesn't want to win against a poor performer, because it makes his win look cheap. That's gotta be it. Yuuri's got more than enough care going for him, he doesn't need any more from Yuri, and he's not getting any. Nope, Yuri Plisetsky does not care for Yuuri Katsuki.


	3. Friends and Family

Yuri has never felt this way before, the feeling he has when he texts Otabek. Actually, it's somewhat similar to how he feels with his grandfather. The most salient to Yuri is that he wants to do them proud, Otabek and his grandfather both. There is a sense of unspoken expectation they hold in him, not just of achievements but as a person in the whole, and Yuri feels that his hard work and grit and the payoff that comes from it makes him the type of person that they are proud of, which in turn makes him happy.

There's also the sense of comfort, that he doesn't need to keep up his spiky demeanour. It keeps others at arm's length (except Mila, who still keeps hoisting him up), and sometimes the spikes bite back at him when he's too harsh on others and they bristle at him. Yuri brushes them off anyway, he truly doesn't care for others' opinions of him. But when he talks to Otabek, he never dons his usual armour, and finds that he's more relaxed. He enjoys this; he doesn't spend enough time with his grandfather to feel relaxed often, and can only call on the phone for so long. But texting can take place anytime, with conversations moving at whichever pace they find themselves free to start, pause and pick up again.

In fact, talking to Otabek comes easy. With others, Yuri doesn't have intentions to hide, but neither does he have intentions to share. When it comes to Otabek, he _wants_ to share. He shares about katsudon in Japan, his grandfather's katsudon piroshki, waterfall meditations and temple beatings, living with Yakov and Lilia, even about St Petersburg, which he has never found more fascinating.

Yuri reports on the seagulls, the big theater halls the Kirov Ballet performs in that Lilia brings him to, the disgustingly lovey-dovey bridge that Viktor insists on walking across with Yuuri hand-in-hand both ways every day, the small hidden cafes that he likes to go to where it's quiet and his fans can't find him, the establishments big and small that he worked at before his endorsements got him enough money to stop working there. He becomes a tourist and tour guide, visiting the famous museums, palaces, theaters, bridges, docks, train stations and more, just to show Otabek. He talks about his room, both where he rents and at Lilia's apartment, his training routine, his cat, his clothes, his mood. He wants to tell Otabek everything.

In return, Otabek humours him. Yuri gets to learn about Almaty, the fountains and mountains, and Medeu, the famous outdoor ice rink. He learns about the bookstores that Otabek likes to spend time in, the beautiful valleys and mountain roads that Otabek learnt to bike for so that he could see the scenery without a windshield. With Otabek, Yuri never feels like he's merely being put up with, or being entertained for the other's ego, like he does with other sometimes. It's not that Otabek doesn't occasionally tease him like Mila does, or that he's the only one that shares his taste in strong and intense design for music and fashion, Georgi does too. The sense is that Otabek is interested in Yuri himself as a person, that when they text, anything goes. It's so freeing, to have everything he likes and everything he is be appreciated, and it makes him reciprocate to Otabek the same respect and admiration for his person.

* * *

These feelings came to a peak during Europeans, where Yuri got a surprise from Otabek. Yuri complained to Otabek about Viktor and Yuuri facetiming each other constantly during Russian and Japan Nationals, which were held at the exact same time, and they had to be separated. "It was so annoying, them going on and on all the time with each other."

But Otabek presented a kinder perspective for Yuri, "I think it's sweet. They miss each other, and find any time they can to communicate. They make each other happy, and want to keep a sense of the other person close as much as they can. Just like us, no?"

"We do not constantly text each other!"

"Yuri, it's been only 2 weeks since Grand Prix Finals, and our chat history is already over 1000 messages."

Yuri huffed, changed the subject, and tried not to think too much about the implications of "make each other happy" between him and Otabek.

The next month at Europeans, after warmups for his short program group, Yakov handed Yuri his phone, where a smiling Otabek was waiting on facetime. They talk a while, mostly it's just Yuri being incredulous why Otabek was calling (to talk to you), how he knew when to call (the competition live stream), what he had to say (Davai), is that all ?! (don't lose to Chris), "I can't believe you" (you're welcome). Agape was performed with a smile that day, and the Yuri's Angels forum boards were overrun with even more 3's and "faints" gifs than the usual ridiculous amount. Yuri expected the call two days later before his free skate, which Otabek didn't disappoint. It was honestly the most cheerful competition Yuri had experienced, and his first Senior Europeans gold medal didn't hurt either. He returned the gesture at Four Continents, calling Otabek before his programs, and after he won his first Four Continents gold too. The press was wondering why Otabek was also smiling a lot this season.

* * *

Things take a turn into the woods though, the week before Worlds. It was an innocent comment, really, and Yuri knew it, but he blew up at Otabek anyway. It started with Otabek calling him "little soldier boy", which he probably thought was cute or something. Yuri took off his shirt and took a selfie, flexing as much as he can, replying "Who you calling little?" Otabek replied in kind, #noflexzone, and follows up with "haha to me you're little".

That got Yuri on a tirade. Shaking with fury, he let out a stream of half formed invectives at a bewildered Otabek.

"I can't fucking believe you would say that to me"

"It's just like Mila you all start out nice then just turn on me"

"Who the fuck do you think you are"

"Fucking traitor"

And in between Otabek's "what?" "I'm sorry I didn't mean anything like that" "I'm really sorry" "Yuri please calm down listen I'm sorry" Yuri hurled his phone across the room and chipped some of the delicate floral carvings off the mantlepiece. Lilia would have his head for that but he couldn't care less and stormed his way out of the apartment, to get away from it all.

He didn't know where he was going, and it wasn't until he ended up at his old apartment did he realize where his feet took him. Luckily he had enough of his wits with him to have brought his keys, and the apartment key was still on the bundle with the rest, so he let himself in. The studio was very dusty, but otherwise everything was exactly as he left it almost 9 months ago. He sank down against the bed onto the floor, and curled up, eyes closed, laying his head between his knees and cursed himself for the outburst. He felt horrible, not in any way he'd felt before. It was such a foreign sensation, to feel so shaken up over something he did to someone else. He also felt a sudden exhaustion descend into his body, and as he sat there stewing, he drifted quickly into a dreamless sleep.

When he came to, he found himself lying on the floor, and the sky was already dark out. His neck was sore, but he couldn't pay it much mind as he flashed back to the reason he was back in his old apartment in the dark. When he tried to check the time and realized his phone wasn't with him, probably lying broken in his room at Lilia's, he resigned himself to a long walk back.

Upon arriving at Lilia's apartment, the scene that awaited him reminded him of shows when people were outside a hospital waiting room: everyone was tense, head down or looking about unfocused but agitated, and every head immediately swivelled to him when the door opened. Yakov and Lilia was there on the sofas, but so was Mila, Viktor and even Yuuri. Immediately, Mila was up and glommed on to Yuri in a crushing bear hug, almost in tears saying they were so worried he didn't turn up for the final practice before the flight tomorrow and where had he been what happened he's safe thank goodness. Yuri didn't know what to do, and everyone else was just staring.

Viktor was the next to move, as he said to the room but more to Mila that Yuri's been found and safe, so everyone doesn't need to worry and should go back to get ready for tomorrow's flight. Laying a hand on Mila's shoulder, comforting her and steering her out the door and signalling for Yuuri to follow, they all shuffle out, leaving Yuri with Lilia and Yakov. He expected both of them to blow up at him, but they just seemed tired.

Lilia asked if he's alright, and Yuri managed a small, quiet grunt. Apparently satisfied, Lilia told him largely the same as Viktor did, to rest and get ready for the flight the next day, then entered her room and shut the door. Yuri's head followed her, and stared at the closed door for half a minute, unable to process what to do, until Yakov called out "Yuri, come sit down." Yuri moved to sit down at the sofa, and suddenly overcome with the feeling that he was too heavy for the soft velvet, that he'll ruin that too. He can't bring himself to look at Yakov, fixing his gaze instead at the carpet.

"We couldn't reach your phone, and found it broken in your room. We were worried. Viktor thought to ask Otabek, but he only said that you weren't replying him either. We couldn't find you and don't know where you could have went, you never went anywhere much, and we didn't know where to start looking. We were all so worried, me, Lilia, Viktor, Mila, even Yuuri. He even tried asking the Japanese girl that you talk to sometimes. Where did you go?"

"I was at my old apartment," Yuri mumbled, taking pause at the effort they went through for him.

"We went there and banged on the door, but nobody answered the lights were off."

"I fell asleep on the floor, sorry."

"As long as you're safe, that's what's important. Please don't disappear like this again."

"I won't. I'm sorry."

"I want you to know that we all care about you. All of us. You may not realize this but we do. We've all watched you grow up, and we're all as much as family to each other, alright?"

Yakov's voice was so gentle, Yuri almost couldn't believe this was the same coach that yelled at him all the time, he'd never seen this side of Yakov before. But he nodded, hearing the words and grasping at the fact that these people treated him like family. It was news to him; he never thought of them that way, like family, but they thought so much of him. He had to swallow a few times.

"What happened? Why did you run off like that?"

Yuri didn't want to tell Yakov the reason for his outburst, it sounded so silly now. But he also didn't want to not tell Yakov; they deserved an explanation. After a few long moments he just ended up saying "I got upset …" and couldn't think of anything more to say.

"You can always come to us. From now on please come to us."

"Okay." Yuri's voice was trembling slightly now.

They both sat there silently, Yuri's breathing becoming heavy while Yakov seemed to be collecting himself, until Yakov finally says "Get some rest." and returns to his room as well, leaving Yuri to himself, sitting on the sofa in exhaustion, unable to move. He eventually managed to pull himself up and walk to his room, not bothering to turn off the lights or close the door, and collapsed into his bed.

* * *

The next day on the plane, Yuri got the window seat with Mila next to him. Throughout the flight, he stared out to window to avoid talking to her. He had been avoiding talking to everyone, really. Yakov's words and also the tenderness with which he said them had been replaying in his head, "we all care about you, we're all as much as family to each other". Mila's hug, the release of panic that was so evident in it, kept returning to him too. And he'd only been boorish to her all this while, thinking poorly of her character.

He steeled himself, took a deep breath and turned to Mila.

"Hey, Mila."

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry I made you all worry yesterday. Thank you for caring about me."

Mila just about burst into tears right then, and pulled Yuri into a hug. Yuri didn't hug back, but he let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding on to, and with it a heaviness to his being. He felt a sensation of floating up into his own body, a lightening to his spirit.

 _This must be what relief feels like_ , he realized. _This must be what guilt feels like._ It was strange, to put a name to all the negative feelings his body made, to know that it was called guilt. Of course, he had felt guilt before, for other incidents like accidentally breaking Georgi's handmade gift to his girlfriend once or even when he collided with another skater during warmups before a competition and caused a sprained wrist, but never so intensely. The other times were accidents, unintentional mishaps but this one was his fault alone, and his body recognized it before he consciously did.

He let her hug him until she pulled away, which was quite a while, but for the first time, he didn't mind. Mila broke out a grin and then put out her usual pouty voice saying "Now the next time you get upset remember to run away to my place so I can haul you back to the rink by my own hands." Yuri made a show of rolling his eyes and turned back to the window, which made Mila giggle. The rest of the plane ride was quiet again, but he was more relaxed around her and the team. He didn't feel like he wanted to avoid any of them anymore.

* * *

That feeling of wanting to avoid someone resurfaced again at the hotel, after checking in and waiting for the elevator. Viktor and Yuuri were, of course, being inappropriately affectionate in public, which always made Yuri want to avoid them regardless of his guilt, but it was the appearance of Otabek in the elevators that sent Yuri wanting to scurry away again.

"Yuri! You're ok! Viktor told me and …" Otabek had started, but Yuri immediately stammered out "I think I heard Yakov and Lilia want to talk to me about the program again, I'll go find them now," and turned tail and basically power-walked away, leaving Otabek dejected, Viktor perplexed, and Yuuri pensive. While Otabek just stood in the elevator deflated, Yuuri whispered to Viktor that he would talk to Yuri, and to bring up his luggage, then ran off after Yuri. Viktor, obliging fiancee that he was, did just that, patting poor Otabek on the shoulder, who just ended up riding the elevator up with Viktor and went back to his own room.

Yuuri found Yuri in the emergency stairwell, which was where he expected, since it had become Yuri's go to place to hide from Yuri's Angels, and apparently Otabek. Yuri was pacing around the landing, but stopped when Yuuri came in, and sat down in a dramatic sigh against his luggage. Yuuri sat down cross-legged facing him, back to the door.

"Do you want to talk about whatever it is that you're pacing about for?" Yuuri offered.

A few moments of hesitation, and then "I yelled at Otabek, on the phone."

"Was that why you got upset and disappeared yesterday?"

Silence, then a grimace, then a groan and Yuri's hands were on his head.

"It doesn't seem like he's angry at you."

At that, Yuri looked at Yuuri, somewhat stunned. He actually expected Otabek to be incensed, and didn't register any of the texted apologies or the concerned tone just now.

"I know you don't like to seem weak, to rely on others. I used to feel that way too, before Viktor walked into Hasetsu and my life. But I've come to learn that relying on others is not weak. They can help us grow, and we can help them too, but we have to _let_ them, and it's scary to do that. You let Otabek come close and maybe he did something that hurt you, that's the scary part, that people we let close will hurt us. But he let you close to him too, and to know that he's hurt someone he cares about, that's also scary. Viktor and I have made each other cry, and it was not fun. There's always the risk of getting hurt, of hurting someone else, but we also get strength from being close to others. I'm glad you've become good friends with Otabek since Grand Prix Finals, you are happier now. And I think he was happier too, at Four Continents, when he knew you were his friend. I hope you two continue to be friends. I would like it for you to be happy."

Having finished with what he wanted to say, Yuuri stood up and offered a hand and a smile to Yuri. At that gesture, Yuri knew exactly what he needed to do, but composed himself enough to shoot up and shake Yuuri's hand before dashing off and forgetting his luggage. Yuuri was slightly taken aback at the outcome, since he was offering to pull Yuri to his feet, and now had to track down Yuri again with the added bonus of his luggage in tow. And since they did not manage to get him a replacement phone in time (they were planning to go shopping for one after checking in), Yuuri was feeling slightly antsy about this recurrent running-off behaviour.

* * *

The poor receptionist in the lobby was very sure that it was against protocol to tell the angry blonde teenager which room this Otabek Altin was staying in, and she'd already called her manager and threatened to call security, but the kid just would not let up. Luckily another man who knew him strolled over and calmed him down, and also explained that they were all here for the figure skating competition, and if they could please find the room of their good friend, everyone could have a good time. Even luckier, the manager showed up and she was relieved of the responsibility of dealing with these trouble makers. Honestly, she should have just become a flight attendant, at least she got to travel away while dealing with annoying customers, instead of having them come to her while she was stuck in cramped and crowded Shanghai.

* * *

Yuri paces because he does not dare knock on the door. He paces back and forth, up and down the hall, stops in front of the door and takes a deep breath and falters, and repeats again. He doesn't know how many times he does this, how long he keeps going, but he keeps pacing. He knows what he needs to do, but damn it's scary alright.

Eventually, while he had his back turned against the door while marching past it for the umpteenth time, he hears the door open, and freezes. He does a slow pivot. His head swivels down as he turns, still not daring to see what he knows to be there.

He sees the boots and black jeans. He feels a stare. He feels his stomach churn, his heart pounding, his ribs shaking.

"Yuri?"

His head snaps up. He sees the eyes of a soldier. He needs to say it. He needs to say it _now_.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you! I'm sorry I made you worry disappearing like that. I sorry I made you think I hated you. I'm sorry I -"

"Yuri…"

"- called you a traitor and -"

"Yuri!"

He is shocked out of his rambling apology by the force in the voice. He doesn't manage to get to the point, he doesn't manage to finish, he doesn't even say what he had planned damnit!

"I'm sorry I called you little, I didn't know you didn't like it. I won't do it again. It was my fault you ran off. Please forgive me."

He gapes. This is totally not the way he thought this apology would turn out.

"It's not your fault! You didn't know! I was being stupid! I.. um.." He peters out. Timidly, he extends his hand out.

"Friends?"

A smile appears, and a hand reaches back out to grasp his in a firm handshake.

"Friends."


End file.
